1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a client server system, an information processing apparatus and a control method therefor, and a program for implementing the control method, and more particularly to a client server system in which one or a plurality of printers, for example, are shared, an information processing apparatus and a control method therefor, and a program for implementing the control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been a client server system in which a server, a plurality of client computers, and one or a plurality of printing apparatuses (printers) are connected to each other via a network, and the plurality of client computers share the one or plurality of printers.
In this client server system, favorite settings designated by users of the client computers in printing are those which have been provided for respective models of printers when printer drivers are installed, or those which have been changed using user interfaces of printer drivers.
Further, in the conventional client server system, a user has to designate which one is to be used among the plurality of printers shared on the network.
However, in the conventional client server system, it is difficult for an ordinary user to select the optimum printer by understanding e.g. the characteristics of all the printers shared on the network, and what kind of printing can be performed.
Moreover, to obtain the optimum output in printing, it is necessary to change print settings using a user interface of a printer driver, as required, but the user interface varies according to the printers, and therefore, it is more difficult for the user to understand print settings of printer drivers on all the printers shared on the network.
For the reasons stated above, it is difficult for the user to always select the optimum printer from among all the printers shared on the network, and to perform printing in the optimum way according to the optimum print settings.
On the other hand, it is impossible for a server administrator (system administrator) who installs and manages printers to restrict print settings which may be changed by users, because printer drivers are usually supplied from e.g. printer manufacturers.
Also, in client server systems used in large companies, usually server administrators install and manage printers, and hence there may be a case where common print settings are desired to be collectively distributed to all of client computers shared on a network, and a case where printers to be used for output are desired to be limited.